Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
4.5
طبيعة ومناطق الحياة البرية
طالع المزيد
عرض كامل
المنطقة
أفضل الأماكن القريبة
المطاعم
2 على بُعد 5 كيلومترات
معالم الجذب
6 على بُعد 10 كيلومترات
4.5
138 تعليق
ممتاز
86
جيد جدًا
34
متوسط
15
سيئ
1
سيئ جدًا
2
Sharon C
تورونتو, كندا228 مساهمة
فبراير 2023
We spent the day here and wished it could have been longer. It's a trek to get there - but don't be discouraged. Well worth it for any lover of nature. The views are spectacular, the hummingbirds an experience that everyone should have at least once and the trails and hikes are amazing. We had an excellent guide who knew both the area and the country well and gave us great information & insights along the way. I wish our timing had allowed us to stay overnight here - can only imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up surrounded by this nature!
كُتب بتاريخ 12 فبراير 2023
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Sarah B
5 مساهمات
ديسمبر 2021
In two days we saw almost 50 new-to-us birds, but we could have seen more if we were without our kids! Our guide, Danielle, was knowledgeable, patient, and fun to talk with. She worked with us to plan each day’s activities. My favorite was the hike to the waterfall. Oh, and we saw the olingito! The accommodations were not fancy, but they were comfortable. Extra blankets kept us cozy on chilly nights. If you like quirky, ask for the dome. The kitchen and wait staff were very attentive, and the food was delicious (again, without being fancy). We went trout “fishing” (at a fish farm…would be better for younger kids), and the Bellavista cooks taught my son how to clean the fish! Even being rained in one afternoon was great. We played cards with our guide and enjoyed the ever-present hummingbirds.
كُتب بتاريخ 2 يناير 2022
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FarAway767288
توسن, Arizona6 مساهمات
مايو 2021
This was an amazing lodge! It IS in a true Cloud Forest, the clouds act like the Northern Lights and are just amazing and beautiful. The birds there? Incredible!! GOOD binoculars are a must to bring, and if you own, pack collapsable hiking poles. You will also want to wear layers including a good waterproof rain jacket and hat/hood. The lodge provides good rubber boots. Our guide Luis was excellent! He could spot a bird and name it, imitate its call, and scope it with a huge professional telescope and then snap photos through that lens with our cell cameras! There are 3 possible hikes any given day, and I suggest you do all three as we did in order to see as much bird activity as possible. First one is 6:30-8:00 (followed by a delicious hearty breakfast in dining room with the most magnificent view of the mountains and frequent bird sightings!), another at 9:30 until lunch (1:00 or so), and then again at 4:30-6:00 or so followed by yet more delicious food!! The server was so nice and brought us anything we might want to go along with the meals. And the chef? Creative and fresh, delicious dishes that we miss already! Our room was great with comfortable beds and pillows, extra blankets if we needed them, plenty of space, a great shower with hot water, a hot pot and tea and coffee IN our room, and a killer view of more mountains and birds!! The property iteslf is gorgeous, I cannot recommend this place enough and I plan on returning with my husband to experience this magical place again, and hopefully with Luis Panamá as our guide!!
كُتب بتاريخ 10 يونيو 2021
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Jean D
Broughton Astley, UK124 مساهمة
زوجان • مارس 2020
We stayed here for 1 night in early March 2020. We had an early pick up from our hotel in Quito for the 2 hour drive to the lodge in time for breakfast. After that we had various hikes with the local experts including the wonderful and knowledgeable Freddie who did everything possible to ensure we saw as much as possible of the local wildlife and gave us wonderful hummingbirds experience where they fed from our hands and sat on our heads and arms.
The food was excellent and we were really sad to leave. Our accommodation was basic but really nice & comfortable and we felt like we were in a tree house.
Our following trip to Galapagos was cut short due to COVID-19 but if and when things get back to normal we will return to finish our trip and include a longer stay at Bellavista. Very highly recommended. Many thanks.
The food was excellent and we were really sad to leave. Our accommodation was basic but really nice & comfortable and we felt like we were in a tree house.
Our following trip to Galapagos was cut short due to COVID-19 but if and when things get back to normal we will return to finish our trip and include a longer stay at Bellavista. Very highly recommended. Many thanks.
كُتب بتاريخ 16 مايو 2020
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Shelley H
Stow, MA234 مساهمة
مارس 2020
The staff was very nice and knowledgeable. But the facility is getting tired and needs attention. The room was large but the bathroom felt dirty and the shower didn't drain. There were live and dead bugs on the floor every day. The gourmet breakfast was "basic". You could get a fried egg or scrambled, there was fruit and yogurt. But despite asking we never got a bowl for the yogurt. The other meals were average. On our hike we didn't see any animals and the only birds we saw were the beautiful hummingbirds at the feeders.
كُتب بتاريخ 26 مارس 2020
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Tom S
Willmar, Minnesota68 مساهمة
الأصدقاء • فبراير 2020
Bellevista. As adventure Motorcyclists (BMW/GS), it was our needed Emerald City refuge along the Yellow Brick Road. Thank-you Mr. Parsons. Our brief stay was far too short. Why sad-sacks would not enjoy here is lame. Au Revior Mr. Parsons, you Wizard. TomS & Sarah S
كُتب بتاريخ 12 فبراير 2020
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Pepper&Bernie
35 مساهمة
يناير 2020
I wrote a separate review of the accommodations on the page for Bellavista Cloud Forest under "Speciality Lodging", so in this review I am focusing on the activities themselves.
We were at Bellavista during the rainy season. It was mainly clear (not ever bright and sunny) in the mornings but by around 1 pm it started raining and rained on and off the majority of the remainder of the day.
The hummingbirds and other randoms (masked flowerpiercer, among others) hanging out at the hummingbird feeders were nonstop entertainment from dawn to dusk. They were completely unphased by people and you could hold a feeder and have the birds drink right from your hands if you wanted. It was mesmerizing.
We stayed two nights. The first morning, we got up early for the 6:30 "hike," which really was just walking around the main lodge area to spot the birds flitting through the trees. The majority of the birds were up high in the canopy and hard to identify, but some, like woodcreepers of two types and a jay, came close for good looks. We lucked out with our guide for the day, Juan Carlos, who we can't recommend enough. He was wonderful and so knowledgeable about the birds and the plants. We saw around 25 types of birds during that "hike."
The 9:30 hike was a great three-hour+ hike for learning about the forest and the flora (not so much the fauna other than a potoo who hangs out in a bare tree during the day because they are night birds). We could hear some birds in the forest but they were too difficult to spot in all the vegetation. We saw all types of orchids and other beautiful flowers and learned about pollinators and what types of flowers different pollinators (insects, hummingbirds and bats) are attracted to and why.
We had hiking boots and wore those instead of the loose wellies provided by the reserve which looked like they'd be good for protecting clothing from mud but not necessarily for providing good support for your ankles. We did not regret the decision but there definitely were some muddy and slippery spots on the trail and we had to be very careful where we stepped in several places.
By the time of the afternoon hike at 1 pm it was pouring. But what the heck, what else were we going to do? So we went for the third hike, which mainly was walking on the road since it was so muddy on the trails. There were a few new people on the walk so most of the guiding by Juan Carlos was repeating what he had pointed out or explained to us on the earlier hike but he's so engaging it didn't really matter that we had heard it all before. We got soaked but the alternative was to wear bulky and musty ponchos that were provided by the reserve and we were worried the extra bulk would cause trouble on the slippery climb back to the reserve.
The next morning we were up early to go to the Cock of the Rock lek and antpitta hike. Juan Carlos was our guide again. These excursions were the highlight of our time at Bellavista and we saw so many birds in addition to the Cock of the Rock and the 4 out of 5 antpittas (we did not see the Giant Antpitta). Neither of these tours are on the Bellavista reserve, and I believe they can be done through different organizations as well.
It's a catch-22 for me when it comes to Bellavista and giving advice as to whether to visit or not, again with the caveat that it was rainy season. On the one hand, the hiking trails and guide (if you get Juan Carlos) and the birds we saw were wonderful. On the other hand, the accommodations were very disappointing and you really do need to stay overnight if you want to have access to the birds other than the hummingbirds. For example, the people who came for the day trip seemed disappointed because they only could go for the 9:30 hike, which Bellavista guides themselves say are not good for seeing birds. Hindsight as it is, I'd have stayed in Mindo and done the Cock of Rock lek/antpitta tours through another provider rather than Bellavista.
We were at Bellavista during the rainy season. It was mainly clear (not ever bright and sunny) in the mornings but by around 1 pm it started raining and rained on and off the majority of the remainder of the day.
The hummingbirds and other randoms (masked flowerpiercer, among others) hanging out at the hummingbird feeders were nonstop entertainment from dawn to dusk. They were completely unphased by people and you could hold a feeder and have the birds drink right from your hands if you wanted. It was mesmerizing.
We stayed two nights. The first morning, we got up early for the 6:30 "hike," which really was just walking around the main lodge area to spot the birds flitting through the trees. The majority of the birds were up high in the canopy and hard to identify, but some, like woodcreepers of two types and a jay, came close for good looks. We lucked out with our guide for the day, Juan Carlos, who we can't recommend enough. He was wonderful and so knowledgeable about the birds and the plants. We saw around 25 types of birds during that "hike."
The 9:30 hike was a great three-hour+ hike for learning about the forest and the flora (not so much the fauna other than a potoo who hangs out in a bare tree during the day because they are night birds). We could hear some birds in the forest but they were too difficult to spot in all the vegetation. We saw all types of orchids and other beautiful flowers and learned about pollinators and what types of flowers different pollinators (insects, hummingbirds and bats) are attracted to and why.
We had hiking boots and wore those instead of the loose wellies provided by the reserve which looked like they'd be good for protecting clothing from mud but not necessarily for providing good support for your ankles. We did not regret the decision but there definitely were some muddy and slippery spots on the trail and we had to be very careful where we stepped in several places.
By the time of the afternoon hike at 1 pm it was pouring. But what the heck, what else were we going to do? So we went for the third hike, which mainly was walking on the road since it was so muddy on the trails. There were a few new people on the walk so most of the guiding by Juan Carlos was repeating what he had pointed out or explained to us on the earlier hike but he's so engaging it didn't really matter that we had heard it all before. We got soaked but the alternative was to wear bulky and musty ponchos that were provided by the reserve and we were worried the extra bulk would cause trouble on the slippery climb back to the reserve.
The next morning we were up early to go to the Cock of the Rock lek and antpitta hike. Juan Carlos was our guide again. These excursions were the highlight of our time at Bellavista and we saw so many birds in addition to the Cock of the Rock and the 4 out of 5 antpittas (we did not see the Giant Antpitta). Neither of these tours are on the Bellavista reserve, and I believe they can be done through different organizations as well.
It's a catch-22 for me when it comes to Bellavista and giving advice as to whether to visit or not, again with the caveat that it was rainy season. On the one hand, the hiking trails and guide (if you get Juan Carlos) and the birds we saw were wonderful. On the other hand, the accommodations were very disappointing and you really do need to stay overnight if you want to have access to the birds other than the hummingbirds. For example, the people who came for the day trip seemed disappointed because they only could go for the 9:30 hike, which Bellavista guides themselves say are not good for seeing birds. Hindsight as it is, I'd have stayed in Mindo and done the Cock of Rock lek/antpitta tours through another provider rather than Bellavista.
كُتب بتاريخ 27 يناير 2020
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ljc65
Louisville, Colorado679 مساهمة
زوجان • أكتوبر 2019
We stayed for two nights and loved it! We had the balcony suite room #1. The room was spacious with the most amazing views. There are 3 daily hikes at $18.00 per person. We had breakfast included in our rate. Lunch and dinner was $26.00 per person. The food was absolutely amazing! We looked forward to every meal. The best food in our travels of Ecuador. Alfonso was the best!
كُتب بتاريخ 25 أكتوبر 2019
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smotri
كيتو, الإكوادور51 مساهمة
زوجان • أكتوبر 2019
We took a 2.5 hour taxi ride from Quito to see birds here. We signed up for a walk at 9:30am, which apparently is the worst time to see birds. So why do they even offer that time? Our guide was very nice and extremely knowledgeable. He is from the Amazon and therefore was able to share a great deal of information about plants and their medicinal uses.
The lodge looks like it is well past its prime. It was probably once very beautiful with its wooden treehouse types of structures. Now it looks like some areas are no longer in use, structures look fragile and neglected.
The lodge looks like it is well past its prime. It was probably once very beautiful with its wooden treehouse types of structures. Now it looks like some areas are no longer in use, structures look fragile and neglected.
كُتب بتاريخ 20 أكتوبر 2019
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Eli B
3 مساهمات
أكتوبر 2019
We stayed at the Bellavista lodge. It is truly a magical place! The staff are absolutely wonderful and it was a delight to meet Richard, one of the owners. Our transfer from Quito required significantly extra effort on the driver's part due to roads being shut down from the national strikes, but he endured and got us there safely and comfortably. The birdwatching opportunities are un-matched, the rooms are comfortable, and the food is very good. It's very chilly at night, so bring extra layers! The lodge provides rubber boots and can dry clothes for you if they get wet during the day. We'd come back in a heartbeat.
كُتب بتاريخ 9 أكتوبر 2019
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sueant08
ليسترشاير, UK3 مساهمات
Hi. We're going to the Bellavista cloud forest in April 2016. We're staying a few nights in Quito prior to the lodge and then onto the Galapagos afterwards. Does anyone know if there are any health care requirements ie vaccinations etc for the Cloud Forest . Thanks in advance. Sue.
Doug K
دنفر, Colorado2,005 مساهمات
Your health care specialist should be able to provide you with appropriate information.
Standard precautions for Ecuador would pertain, i.e., tetanus, hepatitis A and B, and diphtheria.
Yellow fever is only necessary if you are going down the other side of the Andes into the Amazon basin. Malaria prevention (usually a daily pill started before you arrive) is recommended however.
Have fun!
Karen P
Middleton, Wisconsin
Hi,
We are traveling to Ecuador and Galapagos and was told Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve was the place to go.
Where did you stay? Were the accommodations good? Did it come with a guide, or did you use one on your own? Who would you recommend?
Thanks for your help…
Karen
TAbaggs1981
لندن, UK19 مساهمة
Hi Karen,
We went to Bellavista as part of our Honeymoon trip in June. In short it is a brilliant place if you are content with nature and being off the techno radar. Experiencing the humming birds in such close quarters is fantastic, if you go, stand with your head next to the feeders, don't be worried, see them hover literally in front of your eyes is amazing. the variety is also great.
Things to consider:
1) It gets cold at night, they have some electric heaters for rooms but as they are all about sustainability take warm night wear with you if you can to save the electric.
2) Depending where you are travelling from it is a long trip, 3 hours from the airport (each way) and the road is VERY bumpy, you will leave your seat a few times, there is NO alternative route.
3) We stayed in a room which was on it's own, up small metal winding staircase, brilliant immersive room with floor to ceiling glass windows looking out.. we spotted many amazing birds just from our room.
4) 3 or 4 nights is enough unless you are really into bird watching (i.e. ticking specific species off of lists). If you are not that into birds but just enjoy nature this is long enough without it getting samey.
5) The food was basic but very nice, lunch and dinner were both 3 courses and at set times.
6) Staying there you have the choice of guide led trips at all different set times of the day or you can walk any of the trails yourself. The guides we had were very knowledgeable and had a passion for what they knew (not just booksmart).
7) I don't mean to be overly critical of their information but be aware that even the 'easy' trails are fairly demanding. This is important to note because yes they were fairly easy for us (an average couple in our 30s), but for older; slightly injured / overweight people the easy routes were a struggle. We did some of the difficult routes also.. wow.. hard but if you are ok with steep / uneven trails they are worth doing and really make you appreciate the meals.
Hope the info helps, if you have any specific questions let me know.
Regards,
Richard
Nicci S
أوتاوا, كندا
Is there a way to access Bellevista Cloud Forest by public transport? Cost/ Time/ Difficulty?
James2468
غيلدفورد, UK116 مساهمة
You can ask a taxi to take you there from Quito, but it is a 2 hour drive so I wouldn't recommend it. Also the last 30 mins of the drive is down a dirt track. It is also in the middle of nowhere! You are best to book an organised trip which includes being picked up from your hotel/hostel in Quito, a 2 hour guided hike through the forest, lunch and then a return transfer back to your hotel. Everyone there was doing it that way. Some did it as a day trip and some were staying the night. We booked ours through our tour company, but it was the same price as booking it through the Bellavista website.
Saving a few dollars by trying to get there yourself really isn't worth the hassle.